What would cause this to happen?

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wtchywmn
wtchywmn Posts: 193
in Health and Weight Loss
I know this is off topic, but I am stumped. My hubby is out of town on a business trip (of course, strange things only happen when he is not home). Last night at 3:30 in the morning my smoke alarm goes off. :angry: I jumped up checked the whole house and could not find anything wrong. It lasted about a minute then stopped. It went off two more times in about 2 or 3 minutes and stopped. It never went off again the rest of the night. Of course I could not go back to sleep :yawn: for fear my house would burn down. :grumble: Does anyone know why this would happen? We have been in our house for 10 years and this never happened before. These are the kind that are wired into the house.

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  • wtchywmn
    wtchywmn Posts: 193
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    I know this is off topic, but I am stumped. My hubby is out of town on a business trip (of course, strange things only happen when he is not home). Last night at 3:30 in the morning my smoke alarm goes off. :angry: I jumped up checked the whole house and could not find anything wrong. It lasted about a minute then stopped. It went off two more times in about 2 or 3 minutes and stopped. It never went off again the rest of the night. Of course I could not go back to sleep :yawn: for fear my house would burn down. :grumble: Does anyone know why this would happen? We have been in our house for 10 years and this never happened before. These are the kind that are wired into the house.
  • Jendaya35
    Jendaya35 Posts: 79 Member
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    It is possible you need to change the batteries in the smoke alarm. That will happen sometimes when the batteries are dying down. Hope this helps.:wink:
  • GinaB30
    GinaB30 Posts: 725 Member
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    hmmmm..I have NO idea...=o/
    I wonder if they need to be changed, or upgraded or *something*??
    Now *this* is very strange..my friend was home alone (just the kids asleep in bed) and her hubby was working the backshift and her smoke alarm went off going all crazy (she out of the video to take it too) and there were NO batteries in it!!
    Then I'd be freaked too! lol
  • flcaoh
    flcaoh Posts: 444
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    Batteries dying were my first guess. But since you said they are wired into the house I'm guessing they are also wired into your electrical system? (Totally a guess). Maybe there was an electrical short or something. Or if they have back up batteries (b/c an electrical fire might cause them to not work) maybe those are dying... who knows. In any case I'd have it looked at ASAP!
  • GravyGurl
    GravyGurl Posts: 1,070
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    I googled some answers for you. I used to have this kind but I refuse to get the ones that are wired into the house anymore. I will rely on the battery ones and make sure I stick to the shedule of checking them often :smile:


    http://ask.metafilter.com/70031/False-alarms-in-hardwired-smoke-alarms
  • Jendaya35
    Jendaya35 Posts: 79 Member
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    Lol, thats what I get for reading too fast I never seen the "wired into the house," part! Maybe I need to drink more coffee:blushing:
  • Katy009
    Katy009 Posts: 579 Member
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    hmmm.....could it be batteries? do they have batteries when they are wired into the house? that's about all i can think of.
  • mrsyac2
    mrsyac2 Posts: 2,784 Member
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    Change the battery
  • lacy100
    lacy100 Posts: 19
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    I had the same problem. my smoke detectors are wired in the house AND they have batteries. When I got new batteries, the problem stopped...
  • wtchywmn
    wtchywmn Posts: 193
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    Initially I would have thought the batteries, but when ever they start to get low, the smoke alarms just beeps one beep every couple of minutes. This was actually the smoke alarm. I did just call my fire department and he asked if the furnace came on, they said if it happens again to call them and they will come with some meters to read stuff. I know this sounds crazy but I didn't want to bother anybody at 3:30 in the morning. He also asked me if it was hot and humid in the house, I think it could have been. He said that could have caused it also. The last thing I want to do is have all these fire trucks at my house in the middle of the night. How embarrassing.:embarassed:
  • wtchywmn
    wtchywmn Posts: 193
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    I googled some answers for you. I used to have this kind but I refuse to get the ones that are wired into the house anymore. I will rely on the battery ones and make sure I stick to the shedule of checking them often :smile:


    http://ask.metafilter.com/70031/False-alarms-in-hardwired-smoke-alarms

    Thanks, I just checked out the sight and I think it may have been humidity. I did have my windows open last night and I think it was hot and humid, so I am thinking that was my problem. (I hope so). I wish my hubby would hurry up and get home from Colorado.
  • pam0206
    pam0206 Posts: 700 Member
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    Initially I would have thought the batteries, but when ever they start to get low, the smoke alarms just beeps one beep every couple of minutes. This was actually the smoke alarm. I did just call my fire department and he asked if the furnace came on, they said if it happens again to call them and they will come with some meters to read stuff. I know this sounds crazy but I didn't want to bother anybody at 3:30 in the morning. He also asked me if it was hot and humid in the house, I think it could have been. He said that could have caused it also. The last thing I want to do is have all these fire trucks at my house in the middle of the night. How embarrassing.:embarassed:

    Yes. My sister has experienced this same thing. She opened the window in one of her bedrooms and within minutes, the doggone thing started going off. Closed the window, stopped. Her alarms detected heat/humidity, not smoke. Soon afterward, she had all of them changed. GL. I know how dumb stuff happens when husbands are away. :flowerforyou:

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